Influence of Country of Origin in the Party Identification Acquisition Process

• In Event: Is Party Identification the Only Thing that Matters? Yes and No.

Abstract

Millions of Latin Americans migrate to the United States every year. This research investigates if ideology of the government in power when Latinos migrated out of their countries of origin has an effect in the partisan identity acquisition of these immigrants once in the United States. I used data from the 2016 Colaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) and Proyecto Elites Parlamentarias Latinoamericanas (Latin American Parliamentary Elites Project in English) to estimate the impact of ideology of government in immigrants’ countries of origin in party identification acquisition. I am able to measure how important are the governments in power in their countries of origin over the party acquisition process for immigrants once in the United States and to see whether Latino immigrants are more prone to be either Democrats, Republicans, or even not conducting to party identity as well, in accordance with the ideology of the government in power when people migrate from their countries of origin. Utilizing a linear regression model to analyze the correlation between ideology of governments in power when they migrate and party identification, I am able to show that ideology of governments in power in Latin American countries at the moment Latinos migrate from their countries influence the party identification among Latino immigrants in the United States. Evidence demonstrates that political experiences of immigrants in their countries of origin influence the acquisition of party identification upon arrival to the United States.

Author

• Giovanni Castro, University of California, Los Angeles